/ en Thu, 31 Jul 2025 03:47:43 -0500 Tue, 29 Jul 25 14:49:36 -0500 /news/headline/2025-07-29-hhs-announces-pilot-program-combat-hepatitis-c-homeless-communities <p>The Department of Health and Human Services July 28 <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-100m-hepatitis-c-elimination-funding-opportunity.html" target="_blank">announced</a> the creation of a $100 million pilot program to prevent, test for, treat and cure hepatitis C for individuals with substance use disorder or a serious mental illness. The program will focus on communities severely affected by homelessness. The pilot was developed and will be administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.</p> Tue, 29 Jul 2025 14:49:36 -0500 Infection Prevention and Control /news/headline/2025-06-25-aspr-tests-biocontainment-unit-transporting-simulated-patients-high-consequence-infectious-diseases <p>The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response June 25 <a href="https://aspr.hhs.gov/newsroom/Pages/PBCU-22May2025.aspx" target="_blank">announced</a> it conducted an exercise transporting simulated patients with high-consequence infectious diseases in a new portable biocontainment unit from Toronto to U.S. hospitals in the northeast and southeast. The hospitals are all Regional Emerging Special Pathogen Treatment Centers for highly infectious diseases. ASPR said the biocontainment unit is the first domestic resource for isolating and transporting patients with high-consequence infectious diseases, such as Ebola, across long distances to RESPTCs. The unit can be transported by air or by ground.</p> Wed, 25 Jun 2025 14:30:41 -0500 Infection Prevention and Control /news/headline/2025-06-23-aha-podcast-20-drop-sepsis-mortality-inside-ochsner-healths-life-saving-strategy <p>Ochsner Health's Stephen Saenz, sepsis program manager, and Teresa Arrington, director of robust process improvement for quality and patient safety, reveal how a mix of smart technology, clinician-led design and flexible implementation reduced sepsis-related mortality by 20% across its health system — saving lives and setting the pace for hospitals across the country. <a href="/advancing-health-podcast/2025-06-23-20-drop-sepsis-mortality-inside-ochsner-healths-life-saving-strategy">LISTEN NOW</a></p> Mon, 23 Jun 2025 16:17:12 -0500 Infection Prevention and Control /news/headline/2025-05-02-cdc-says-us-935-measles-cases <p>The U.S. has had 935 confirmed cases of measles so far this year, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html">latest data</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases have been reported by 29 states, with <a href="https://www.dshs.texas.gov/news-alerts/measles-outbreak-2025">Texas reporting</a> the most at 683 — a 20% increase from last week. There have been 12 outbreaks, and 93% of confirmed cases (869 of 935) are outbreak-associated. The vaccination status of 96% of all cases is classified as “unvaccinated or unknown.”</p> Fri, 02 May 2025 15:02:29 -0500 Infection Prevention and Control /news/headline/2025-04-23-whooping-cough-cases-surpass-8000-nationwide <p>There have been 8,064 reported cases of whooping cough in the U.S. so far this year, according to the <a href="https://data.cdc.gov/NNDSS/NNDSS-Weekly-Data/x9gk-5huc/data_preview">latest data</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 3,835 cases at the same time in 2024.</p> Wed, 23 Apr 2025 15:09:09 -0500 Infection Prevention and Control /news/headline/2025-04-22-study-finds-increase-drug-resistant-baumannii-infections <p>A <a href="https://bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-025-10749-1" title="infection study">study</a> published April 17 by BMC Infectious Diseases found increased incidents of <em>Acinetobacter baumannii</em> and carbapenem-resistant <em>A. baumannii</em> infections between 2018 to 2022. <em>A. baumannii </em>is<em> </em>a pathogen considered to be a major cause of health care-associated infections. The study found that <em>A. baumannii</em> cases per 100 hospitalization encounters grew from 1.15 in 2018 to 1.25 in 2021, before dropping to 1.11 in 2022. The CRAB incidence rate grew from 0.39 cases per 100 hospitalization encounters in 2018 to 0.53 cases in 2022. <br> <br>Researchers said the pathogen’s ability to survive in hospitals and in patients not showing any symptoms for extended periods of time contributed to increased outbreaks. </p> Tue, 22 Apr 2025 14:50:03 -0500 Infection Prevention and Control /role-hospitals-arkansas-childrens-hospital-celebrates-30-years-nutrition-research-and-innovation <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-9"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-5"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/ths-arkansas-childrens-nutrition-2-700x532.jpg" alt="Arkansas Children’s Hospital. A smiling young girl sits at a school dining table eating a nutritious meal" width="700" height="532"></p></div><p>The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC) is celebrating three decades of groundbreaking research that has significantly improved the health and development of children worldwide. Established in 1994, ACNC has become a leader in pediatric and maternal nutrition research through its large-scale studies exploring how maternal diet, physical activity and early feeding practices influence a child's growth and development. "The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center plays a critical role in defining and delivering unprecedented care for children," said Dr. Pete Mourani, senior vice president and chief research officer of ACNC.</p><p>ACNC's research approach is translational, meaning their scientists oversee studies within traditional scientific labs as well as clinical studies and trials among children and mothers. This comprehensive approach expanded understanding of the impact of different feeding types on infants’ cognition, growth and development. Additionally, ACNC has explored how nutrition and physical activity influence maternal and child metabolism and brain function during critical periods of development, including pregnancy, early childhood and pre-adolescence.</p><p>"We are proud to host community-based studies that take the best evidence we know from the lab and the clinic to real-world settings where families live, learn and play," Mourani said.</p><p><a class="btn btn-primary" href="https://www.archildrens.org/news/releases/2024/acnc-celebrates-30-years-of-research" target="_blank">LEARN MORE</a></p></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><div><h4>Resources on the Role of Hospitals</h4><ul><li><a href="/center/population-health">Improving Health and Wellness</a></li><li><a href="/roleofhospitals">All Case Studies</a></li></ul></div></div></div></div> Wed, 16 Apr 2025 14:54:45 -0500 Infection Prevention and Control /news/headline/2025-04-08-study-finds-increase-invasive-strep-infections <p>The incidence of invasive group A strep infections increased from 3.6 to 8.2 cases per 100,000 people from 2013 to 2022, according to a <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2832277" target="_blank">study</a> authored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published April 7 by JAMA. The authors concluded that accelerated efforts to prevent and control these infections are needed, especially among groups at highest risk of infection, which includes individuals 65 years or older, American Indian or Alaska Native persons, residents of long-term care facilities, people experiencing homelessness, and people who inject drugs. </p> Tue, 08 Apr 2025 15:49:50 -0500 Infection Prevention and Control /news/headline/2025-03-28-measles-outbreak-kansas-cdc-reports-latest-national-numbers <p>The Kansas Department of Health and Environment this week <a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/2314/Measles-Data">reported</a> an outbreak of 23 measles cases in southwest Kansas, nearly all of which occurred in unvaccinated people. There are 483 confirmed cases of measles in 19 states across the country, according to the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/">latest data</a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency said 93% of the cases are outbreak-associated. The vaccination status of 97% of cases is classified as “unvaccinated or unknown.”</p> Fri, 28 Mar 2025 14:08:43 -0500 Infection Prevention and Control /news/headline/2025-03-24-usda-others-fund-projects-potential-bird-flu-vaccines-other-treatments <p>The Department of Agriculture March 20 <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/news/agency-announcements/usda-announces-next-steps-effort-support-fight-against-avian-influenza" target="_blank">announced</a> it will fund up to $100 million for projects exploring prevention, therapeutics, research and potential vaccines to treat bird flu. The agency is partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration on the projects.</p> Mon, 24 Mar 2025 14:58:35 -0500 Infection Prevention and Control